Around Us 09-26-10

Published 7:00 am, Sunday, September 26, 2010

Law enforcement officials from several local agencies say they haven't seen a huge impact since local stores started selling packaged alcohol one year ago.

Agents have caught some clerks selling to minors, but overall, most haven't during the hundreds of undercover minor sting operations conducted in Lubbock since sales started on Sept. 23, 2009, Sgt. Michael Lockhart, a regional spokesman for the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission said.

A total of 161 stores, not including bars and restaurants, had permits to sell alcohol as of Friday.

Much of the debate last year over alcohol sales focused on concern over crime going up - especially underage drinking, drunken driving and violent crimes such as assaults and domestic violence.

Lubbock Police Sgt. Tommy Mora said they haven't seen a significant increase in overall crime since alcohol sales started nor have they changed their enforcement strategies in the past year.

The drops or increases in most of the crimes weren't very significant, and authorities cautioned against drawing premature conclusions based upon just one year's worth of data. Mora said looking at data over a longer period in the future might provide a better picture of trends.

Police made 531 DWI arrests since alcohol sales started compared to 579 for the same time period before, according to police records.

Alcohol-related crashes and road deaths were very similar to the year before.

Alcohol has been confirmed in 10 traffic fatalities since September 2009, though it's suspected in three more cases that are still awaiting toxicology reports, Police Sgt. John Hayes said. A total of 13 people died during the same time period the year before.

Alcohol-related minor citations were down some in the past year, 662 compared to 798, according to Municipal Court records.

Loud party calls to the police department did increase from 5,750 to 6,000, though the upward trend started before alcohol sales. - Lubbock Avalanche-Journal

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DALHART - A Dalhart doctor's practicing license was temporarily suspended by the Texas Medical Board Friday, a month after she was charged with possession of marijuana and falsifying drug test results.

Dr. Stacy Elise Hamid was working in the emergency department at Coon Memorial Hosptial on Aug. 27 when hospital staff noticed she was acting strangely, a news release said.

Hamid was repeatedly asking questions about a patient who had already been transferred from the emergency department. She was asked to submit a urine test. According to the release, Hamid agreed to the urine test, but the sample she gave did not meet temperature requirements and was too low of specific gravity to be tested.

Hospital staff searched her lab jacket and found bottles of Fentanyl and Propofol, a package containing synthetic urine, a heating pad and instructions on how to defeat or alter a drug test, the release said.

Hamid was relieved of her duties that day.

When police searched Hamid's home they found drug paraphernalia, including marijuana and controlled substances taken from the hospital, the release said.

Hamid's license was suspended on the premise that her continuation in practice is a threat to public welfare.

She has the opportunity to have a Temporary Suspension Hearing With Notice at least 10 days after notice of the suspension, the release said.

Her suspension remains in effect until the Texas Medical Board takes further action. - Amarillo Globe-News

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LAMESA - A man was critically injured Thursday afternoon in what the Dawson County Sheriff's Office called an industrial accident.

Stanley Brown, who is in his mid-50s, was transported to the Lamesa Medical Arts Center and then airlifted to Covenant Medical Center in Lubbock for a deep puncture wound in his neck.

He was in good condition at Covenant late Friday, according to a hospital supervisor.

Sheriff Kent Parchman said deputies responded to a call at around 3 p.m. at a farm located 12 miles north of Lamesa on FM 179.

Brown had been working by himself between a tractor and a shredder when he fell and landed on a pocketknife.

A neighbor found him sometime later and called for help.

The details were not completely clear because there were no witnesses, Parchman said, but he did not suspect foul play. - Lubbock Avalanche-Journal

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LUBBOCK - Lubbock police ask the public for assistance in identifying a man who committed forgery at a United Supermarket.

Images of the suspect were captured at 10:04 a.m. Sept. 11 at the United Supermarket located at 1701 50th St.

The man opened a bank account using a false name and passed a counterfeit check, according to police. He then ran out of the store, leaving behind the check and a temporary driver's license.He is described as a white male in his mid-forties, who is 6 feet 3 inches tall and 165 pounds. He has tattoos on both arms from the wrist up and a lightning bolt tattoo on his neck.

He is believed to be living in the vicinity of 37th Street and Avenue A. The man was dropped off at the store in a black Chevrolet Camaro.

Anyone with information about this case is urged to call Crime Line at 741-1000 or Detective Kenny Brown of property crimes at 775-2775. - Lubbock Avalanche-Journal